Ciarán
Ciarán is the son of the Lady Oonagh and Lord Colum. Formerly a sorceror, he is now a druid and is expected to be the archdruid after Conor. Biography Early Life Ciarán was born at Sevenwaters, at Samhain, just months after the Lady Oonagh cast her spell upon Sorcha's brothers to ensure that Ciarán became Chieftan after Lord Colum. When the spell was broken, the Lady Oonagh took Ciarán (then around three years old) and fled Sevenwaters with him. She left Ciarán in the care of a childless couple in the south, who she paid with a bag of silver. Lady Oonagh meant to leave him there until he was old enough to be taught the sorceror's ways. However, Ciarán was eventually rescued by his father Lord Colum and his half-brothers Diarmid and Cormack and taken to the nemetons to be raised as a druid. Ciarán's half-brother Conri assisted the Sevenwaters men in the rescue and was then turned into a raven by the Lady Oonagh as a punishment. In Son of the Shadows When the druids come to Sevenwaters for Imbolc, Ciaran is allowed to join them. All goes well until he falls for Niamh, the eldest daughter of Sorcha and Hugh of Harrowfield, not knowing that she is his niece. Niamh likewise falls in love with him, and they meet secretly in the forest a number of times, until Liadan is guided by the Fair Folk to find them making love. Unknown to them, the Sevenwaters family finds out about the affair through Liadan and Sean, and they part after their encounter, both blissfully happy. When Ciarán hears that Niamh is in trouble due to the truth about their affair being revealed, he rides to Sevenwaters, hurt and wanting answers. Then Conor finally tells him he is the son of Lady Oonagh by Lord Colum of Sevenwaters, and half-brother to Sorcha and her brothers. His union with Niamh is thus forbidden by blood. Ciarán is horrified, believing that as the son of an evil sorceress, he can never become a druid. He refuses to return to the nemetons, and sets out to 'seek his past' (aka the Lady Oonagh), so that he may learn from her how to use his magic. Before he leaves, he sees Liadan and asks her to give to Niamh a smooth white pebble with a hole in it from him. Ciarán finds his mother, and she presents him with a proposal: help her destroy the people of Sevenwaters. Ciarán considers it, wanting to learn how to use his magic and show Conor what he can be. He does not give Oonagh a definite answer at this time, but is aware that she wants one soon. When Niamh escapes from Sídhe Dúbh through the Marshes with Bran and Gull guiding her, Ciarán waits at the other end. He tells her the truth about their blood ties, and she opens her arms as if there is nothing to forgive. The two then move to Kerry. Ciarán returns to Sevenwaters to give the dying Sorcha a final message from Niamh. Unfortunately, he arrives too late, as the funeral rites had already ended. The morning after the funeral, he meets Liadan tending to her garden and loans her the raven (Conri) as a thank you gift for helping Niamh escape her abusive husband, so that Liadan could use him to call for help when she needs it. He tells Liadan the truth about why the Sevenwaters family had been against his relationship with Niamh and why he had left so abruptly. Then he returns to Niamh. When Liadan finally calls for help, Ciarán comes to her and magically creates a pathway made out of plants over the Marshes, helping Liadan and Gull carry an unconscious Bran to safety. He converses briefly with Liadan and then returns to Kerry once more. The Death of Niamh For three years Ciarán lives happily in Kerry with Niamh. Two years after the events in Son of the Shadows, Niamh gives birth to Fainne. A year later, Niamh falls off the Honeycomb and drowns. It is presumed that she committed suicide because she could not handle the memories of her abuse at the hands of Fionn. Ciarán is distraught and grief-stricken, believing that his love was not enough for her to want to live on, and that she chose to leave him and their daughter behind. For the next fifteen years, Ciarán constantly carries with him the guilt and shame of Niamh's death. In Child of the Prophecy In Child of the Prophecy, Ciarán lives in Kerry with Fainne, his sixteen-year-old daughter. He sends Fainne to Sevenwaters, believing that it is time she met her relatives on her mother's side. He asks his mother, the Lady Oonagh, to come to Kerry to teach Fainne how to behave in a household such as Sevenwaters. However, he does not realize that the Lady Oonagh has other plans for Fainne (or so it seems at the time). He leaves Kerry, and is not seen again until the end of the novel. During the battle for the Islands, Ciarán arrives to confront his mother. He discovers that the Lady Oonagh murdered Niamh, and is furious at her for deceiving him for all those years. When Ciarán is distracted by an illusion of Niamh, the Lady Oonagh attempts to kill him by throwing a fireball at him, but he is saved by Finbar, who runs in front of him and sacrifices himself to save Ciarán's life.. Ciarán is heartbroken at Finbar's death, and finally accepts his mixed heritage and Sevenwaters as his family as he says to his mother, 'You killed my brother.' It is Ciarán who then reveals who the real Child of the Prophecy is, and parts with Fainne as she leaves for the Needle, where she will stand watch for the rest of her life. Before Fainne leaves, she asks Ciarán to return to Sevenwaters, rejoin the druidic order and become Sibeal's tutor, to which he agrees. In Heir to Sevenwaters In Heir to Sevenwaters, Ciarán is seen in his role as Sibeal's tutor. He helps Clodagh when she goes on a quest to rescue her newly born brother, Finbar. At the end of the novel, he suggests that Cathal stand up to his father and become the new Prince of the Fair Folk, but Clodagh objects. In Seer of Sevenwaters Ciarán is absent for the majority of the novel. He sends Sibeal to Inis Eala so that she may see her sisters and see what she will be missing out on if she takes her druidic vows. Near the end of the novel, when Sibeal talks to Ciarán of her love for Felix and her dedication to the gods, he understands her situation, due to what happened with himself and Niamh, and tells her of the Brethren of Brighid as a solution to her dilemma. He is sad that Sibeal does not take druidic vows, but cares about her happiness far more. In Flame of Sevenwaters At the beginning of the novel, Conor has recently died, and Ciarán is expected to take his place as chief druid. During a feast, Ciarán recounts the story of two warring tribes whose feud was cured by a geis, a curse. He is reintroduced to Maeve, Lord Sean's fourth daughter who had returned to Sevenwaters after an absence of ten years. When Maeve wishes to move into a cottage near the nemetons that had been occupied briefly by Ciarán's half-brother Conri and his new wife Aisha, Ciarán agrees with the decision. Ciarán realizes that a time of change is coming, and that Maeve may have a role in what is to come. When Maeve finds the body of one of the men who had disappeared, Ciarán comes to Sevenwaters to attend a meeting Sean has called. Ciarán advises that Deirdre should contact Clodagh, who should tell Cathal to come to Sevenwaters and face Mac Dara. Ciarán goes to Illan's holding to hear what Clodagh tells Deirdre. He then sets out on a quest to find the verses of the geis that had been cast upon Mac Dara as an infant. Ciarán gradually finds all the verses of the geis. When he has found all the verses, he meets up with Cathal and they hurry to the Otherworld to confront Mac Dara. Upon arriving, Ciarán, keeping with the geis, sacrifices his place in the mortal world and becomes the new Prince of the Otherworld, so that Cathal may live peacefully with Clodagh and his children in Erin. He wants them to have the years together that he and Niamh did not have. At the end of the novel, Ciarán reflects on his life and the choice he has made, and he does not regret it. Physical appearance Ciaran has mulberry eyes and dark red hair. Personality Relationships Ciaran is the paternal half-brother of Sorcha and her brothers, and the maternal half-brother of Conri. He is the uncle of Liadan, Niamh, Sean and Padriac's six children. His parents are the Lady Oonagh and Lord Colum. He was married to Niamh, his own niece, and they had one daughter, Fainne. Through Fainne, Ciarán is the grandfather to two children, Danny and Niamh. After finding out about his true heritage, Ciarán's relationship with his Sevenwaters family worsened, as he felt bitterness towards Conor for keeping it from him, and for years he lives in seclusion from Sevenwaters. However, in Child of the Prophecy, Ciaran mends his relationship with Conor and rejoins the druidic order. Family Tree Appearances *''Son of the Shadows'' *''Child of the Prophecy'' *''Heir to Sevenwaters'' *''Seer of Sevenwaters'' *''Flame of Sevenwaters'' Category:Characters Category:Sevenwaters Family Category:Druids Category:Irish Characters